Short hops and hard knocks with Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne.

Sizing up the Sox

Now that Theo Epstein has completed his last significant move of the season, getting Billy Wagner in the much-discussed deal with the Mets, it is a good time to look at the team as a whole.

And Epstein seemed fairly optimistic about a club that now includes Victor Martinez, Alex Gonzalez and Wagner.

Of late, the Red Sox have been crushing the ball. The bullpen only gets better with Wagner. And the rotation will get Tim Wakefield back Wednesday, and perhaps Daisuke Matsuzaka by Sept. 8.

“I think we’ve been through a lot,” Epstein said. “It hasn’t been one of those years where everything works like clockwork. If you look at the different elements of the team, our lineup is really talented and really deep. We have a lot of different options and we’re scoring a lot of runs now and I’d like to think that’s going to stay for the majority of the rest of the season. I think this team is perfectly capable of scoring a lot of runs and can certainly hit enough to win.

“Our bullpen is probably, I’d like to think, it’s very deep and talented and a lot of different looks now from the left and right side. It’s been a strength all year and I hope it continues to be a strength.

“And our starting rotation, the main issues in the middle of the season here have been the stability of the back half of the rotation. That’s something that we continue to work through. Clay Buchholz has had a pretty good second half of the season. I’d like to see him continue to build on that. We have a couple of different pitchers close to coming off the disabled list who have done a lot in their big league careers and I’d like to think they can help stabilize the back half of the rotation as well. We’re in the middle of it and we have our work cut out for us. There’s no guaranteed road to the postseason. There’s none in the offseason. There’s not in Spring Training. There’s not during the year. There’s not now. We’ve got to fight for it and I think we’re prepared to do that and we like the roster we have to try to get that done.”

What can the Red Sox expect from Dice-K?

“It remains to be seen what we’ll get. I don’t think anyone can say with any certainty. I will say that he’s worked as hard as a human being can possibly work under the circumstances to get back. He’s lost some bad weight, added some good core weight, some good core muscle strength and he’s getting through his delivery a lot better. I watched his rehab outing the other day on the web cam that we have down there. He was getting through his delivery a lot better. His arm was working well. He showed better shape to his breaking ball. Better command of his fastball down in the zone. So we’ll see. It was against a rookie ball opponent. We’ll see how he does as he works his way up. I don’t think we’re counting on him to be a savior. But I don’t think it’s unrealistic to hope that he can contribute in some way in September.”

One other interesting nugget from Epstein is that part of the reason ownership was so willing to pay the money necessary to land Wagner is that there were significant incentive bonuses for both John Smoltz and Brad Penny that won’t be used.

“I should note that ownership deserves an awful lot of credit here. We had a couple of starting pitchers who were due to make a lot of money in performance bonuses and due to some developments in recent days, and recent weeks, it was clear there’s going to be a savings,” Epstein said. “Some of the money budgeted for performance bonuses, it’s probably not going to end up getting paid out. So instead of just pocketing that money, we were allowed to look for ways to improve the club, improve our chances of getting to the postseason and winning a World Series. This was a redirection of those funds. I think a lot of ownership groups would have just said, ‘great, let’s come in under budget, let’s keep the money.’ This ownership group does whatever it takes to win. Redirecting those savings for someone like a Billy Wagner made a lot of sense.”

I think this is a very bad move to bring Delcarmen in. Oki is throwing well and is effective against right handed hitters. Delcarmen has lost something on his fast ball and is no longer throwing the ball by hitters. I think he’s tired. I hope Tito proves me wrong here…… but I don’t like it.

My condolences to the Kennedy family for the passing of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Regardless of ones political view, the Kennedy family has contributed so much to the country.

It was a bad move to bring in Delcarman (that?s the spot for Wagner if he is with the team) with bases loaded and he threw 2 straight balls. I thought for a moment the game is ovah, the season is ovah with Tex leading the Yanks. Luckily the move worked. Whew!
Just a few observations: What does Lester have to do get some run support? Perhaps Lester should buy a filet minion dinner for the team.
The V factor, Francona would not likely pinch run for Tek if V-Mart is not available. The Sox have felt the impact of V-Mart again. It doesn?t matter who the opposing team brings in as a pitcher. V-Mart just switched to the other side of the plate.
The Yanks may (a big may) win the division. The Fatboy is washed up. AJ Burnett is fragile, and Donutboy has proven playoffs history of being a donut boy, and Pettitte is a toss up. So there is hope, just keep winning.

The Dodgers looked like a lock for the playoffs but not the case anymore. I guess the honeymoon is over for Zazu, they booed him the other day. Now that is funny, I never knew folks in L.A. could boo. lol. The Rockies are looking like the Rockies of 2007. Back in 2007, they started there run in Sept. The Rockies look like they are having a blast playing baseball. It seems any game late, the Rockies will win.

Francona’s move worked with Delcarmen but that is one thing I’ll give props to Francona…He isn’t afraid and some managers are. I thought when Delcarmen was put in, a hit for sure for Chicago. Delcarmen gets the W even though he threw (3) pitches and only (1) strike. Then again if Oki could have made the play on that little pop-up that inning wouldn’t have been that bad. He looked a little leaguer on that play, then again those kids from Williamsport would have made that play.

It will be very interesting too see how Martinez does with Wakefield tonight. I give major props to Martinez on this one. The guy has never caught a knuckleball but he will try tonight on the biggest stage….A major league game. Who can ever forget Josh Bard that night in Cleveland. Also John Flahery tried in spring training and retired. Of course Flaherty will say otherwise. LOL!!

Ian – Not sure if you read these comment or not but I have a question for you…

Now that the Red Sox have bolstered their roster with Alex Gonzalez, Victor Martinez and Billy Wagner – who do you think will join the team from AAA Pawtucket in the September pennant race? I would like to get your predictions/insights on who you think will join the team and what moves you think will prove most beneficial.

Brian: It was a daring move on the part of Francona. A lot of managers would call on Pap for a 4 out save. Oki pitched well, almost pitched out of the jam he created himself. Oki struck out Prysinski or whoever with runners on 1st and 3rd for out No. 2. I would let Oki finish off the inning or bring in Pap. When the count was 2-0 on DC, I thought he would walk to load the bases and surrender a hit as customarily we have seen. Then the game would be ovah, the season would be ovah. Very close call.
V-Mart will be doing fine catching Wake. I have good feeling about Wagner. He is yough on both righties and lefties.

Hi guys… You know all the problems that we’ve had with the amount of time it takes to post a comment?? Well I have changed my browser to mozilla and the problem has been reduced so much that I changed it at work too. This computer was THEE worst. Mozilla also has a built in spell check to everything you type. Why not try it??

Ellen,
I have been using Firefox for years. Great browser but if you want SPEED and I mean SPEED use Opera. It’s as fast as it gets. Problem with Opera…and its strength is its resistance to support any type of ASP (Active Server Pages e.g. Microsoft’s web page engine) making it not work on a lot of sites. ASP is inherently buggy and security flaw ridden which is why Opera said enough is enough. Opera has the fastest page rendering engine on the market. You won’t beat it!
Bosoxbrian,
I too share your grief over Ted Kennedy. Regardless of viewpoint, brain cancer is a horrible way to go and he suffered. I’m so sorry for the family.
Everyone,
I really thought we’d bring back our third catcher. Bummer. Tim has a lot of pressure now and I hope Vic has been practicing. I remember 2004. Tim McCarver couldn’t believe how Tim Wakefield got out of that jam considering that Jason Varitek was a mess catching that ball.
Finally.
Had to share this one with you. It was released that death row inmates share their organs with the population s as part of the organ transplant team. OK that was horrifying.

I am looking forward to seeing how Dice K progresses through his rehab outings.. It would be awesome if he came back to full strength for September.. on the other side of the coin, I’m cautious about expectations for him.
(I’m so excited that I can post so quickly!!!)

RIP Ted Kennedy.. Who will be the Patriarch of the Kennedy Clan now?? There doesn’t seem to be an “heir apparent”… I don’t think that this generation of Kennedy’s is anywhere near as strong as the last.

moanin all……lookin good….but we are playing a weak team…like i said yesterday i live in the windy city area(yack) and i watched the post game comments…i swear its a prerequisite to have no common sense to be an analyst for chicago sports…after the game one of the daily wgn sports analysts says” well we are losing to a team that really isnt that good”….he further stated that they arent the sox of old and the chisox should be able to handle them….good friggin lord…..im sitting here think you guys are around 500 ball playing in one of the worst divisions in basball and you can make a comment like that?…..maybe i should apply for his job….i know im biased but good lord how moronic can you be….they seem to think peavy is their savior too….i would say why do you think peavy wanted to stay in SD,AND NOT COME TO THE AL….they will find out hes an average pitcher out of that sd park and in the american league….sigh…..anyhoo after timmy gets em really out of wack i expect a sweep….watch for some fireworks tonight cause im thinkin the azzwipe ozzie is gonne go nuts on someone soon…ive watched him manage for a few now and he is the manager that just amazes me how he can survive gettin fired….yes tito i would take over ozzie lol…somethin will happen tho….either during or after game…go sox…..judge

as for ellens comments….this is what i expect from the dice man…being asian and putting his foot in his mouth im thinkin his pride kicked in and will come back rollin….we will have josh,the molester,dice man, and timmy ready for the playoffs….i still think buchy isnt ever gonna be an ace….a good 3 man maybe but not an ace….he loses concentration to easy…and you dont see that evil eye thingy….hes got good stuff but just not that extra tier stuff….wheres hansack anyhoo….i figured he would be a cog this yr….my agenda would be to trade paps,buchy,and possible taz or bowden in the offseason for a killer plr….ie halladay, a gonzo,or a plr in that category….maybe dan haren can be had for some of those plrs and some offense….hmmmm….but for now lets keep rollin….judge

im hopin im good ellen…i got beckett,j johnson,and happ as SP….and my line up is loaded…im in the last play off spot but hamilton seems to be hittin and young has been carryin my team with fielder and bay…im gettin back j upton tonight so i should be good….another starter might be in order but i have wolf and bucholz pitchin pretty good….l would be locked up now if it wasnt for beckett last week…he cost me the big points….i still should have atleast 5th headin in but im thinkin 4th…the 5-6 teams play each other the last week and as long as they dont go 50-50 in points i should nab 4th(i have a weak opp)…..so if i can get another med range starter i might be good….i think i might wait for sept call ups tho cause i have 4 smokin triple a kids commin up in sept that i think i can spot start….mark my words tho…if tko(al) manages to have a 9 point or above week….next week he will knock drama out of play offs and be a real force….his last 8 weeks hes laid waste to teams and marched from dead last to in contention….ty anyways tho but its pretty hard to get a trade thru now with playoffs loomin….it would have to be a really even trade….ill look at your roster tho sweety and ty….judge

i just checked and yes u might have my cog i need very bad….i forgot you had masterful…his numbers are medicre to most fantasy managers but i think he will make a charge down the stretch….cleveland might do somethin with them playin spoilers and he can help me in whip and SO….ILL SEND YOU AN OFFER LUV…JUDGE

This team really needs to find a way to score a few runs when it encounters really good pitching. I know that is easier said than done, but it seems like good pitching really shuts us down pretty good, more so than in the past years. Many games this year with 0,1,2 runs scored. Mights as well start proving that tonight!

Did you see Wakefield running to back up third on that play? He was moving pretty well. What’s with Vmart airmailing the ball into center twice lately?? Cmon Victor!!
Good job to get out of that little jam, Wake!!

Who would have thunk Wakefield would have gone this deep into the game. Also great job by Martinez behind the dish, handling a knuckleball for the first time in his career. Watching Martinez, you wouldn’t know it. More importantly, Wakefield has confidence in Martinez behind the plate.

Martinez as you said was taken the Pony Express, is Wagner walking to Boston? lol. Wagner got permission from the Red Sox to go home and he’ll be ready to go tom. night. What happened to the days when players got traded and would be on that team the next day and in some cases on that team the same day he got traded. Those days are ovah!

I’m guessing Kottaras will be up Sept. 1. Kottaras also did a solid job with Wakefield this year.

Wakefield pitched so good but he’ll have nothing to show for it. Wake’s next start will be against the Rays and his numbers in the dome are very good. This time missed by Wakefield will only make him a better pitcher, he’ll be fresh in Sept. for the first time in years.

Nice job by Wake tonight. Didn’t take the pen long to take his win away though. Too bad. Also, Martinez looks like a natural back there catching the knuckler. He was picking Wake’s pitches clean with a first baseman’s mitt.

Julia, with Martinez being so effective catching Wake tonight, I don’t see a role for Kottaras. If all else is equal, you always put Martinez’ bat in the lineup. Plus, Tito’s job becomes easier as Wake’s games are games Martinez can catch and Tek can legitimately sit.

Hindsight is always 20/20 007 ….. Ramirez has been effective in that role most of the year. Bard on the other hand has not been reliable lately. I really have no problem with Ramirez in the 8th.

Alex Gonzales is a wizard at shortstop. I heard some things about his diminishing range but I haven’t really seen much of that so far. What I have seen is a guy who makes all the plays, very smoothly. Pitchers must have so much more confidence in the defense with him out there.

These guys are guessing location with Bard tonight because they can’t catch up with him. With that in mind, he is better off keeping the ball up in the strike zone. Anyone can catch up with a low pitch.

That ball Ortiz hit was CRUSHED. Ortiz has 22 H.R.’s….It looks like he’ll end up with over 30 H.R.’s. He got off to that HORRIBLE start, I didn’t think he would hit more than 20. That H.R. he hit was something he would do all the time. Perhaps we’ll see more of those. If this team is going to go anywhere, his bat is needed. Another H.R. (2 tonight ) for Ortiz and that usually means a W for the good guys.

So many great things to write about this game!!!! Ramon Ramirez NOT being one of them!!! Then again, just about every reliever has given up a crucial run this season,, This time of year all homeruns just are MORE CRUCIAL!!! But I will leave it at hat for now… I’m off to the land of NahnyNahny!! So nite-nite nationers!!!! See all of you loverly people in the a.m.!!!

What a great end to the game! If Wake didn’t get the win I’m glad Bard did. They struggled for the win – and they got it!!! It was a great win. And Wags should be in the house tomorrow. I wonder who will be sent down?

Brad Penny asked to be released and his wish was granted.
A great win indeed. All the Sox need is just one of the big bats to hit in clutch. During the TB and Yankees series, all bats went to sleep at the same time.
Looking back Theo’s low budget off season acquisitions, Smoltz was a flop. Penny though not spectacular did win some games for the Sox. Saito is Ok and don’t expect to see him back next year.
The trades that reap immediate dividends have to be V-Mart and A Gonzo and yet to see to how Wagner fares.
My concern is whether Beck had two consecutive off days or the tank is near empty. We will find out on Friday.

I’m guessing Penny will be Designated For Assignment and that will make room for Wagner. Theo has been very busy in the last month or so. Lots and lots of moves. Getting rid of dead weight and I would classify Penny as dead weight.

I’m with RonKelly, all is well. Boston has more breathing room in the w.c.

If Wake was hammered, the Sox would likely retain Penny and place Wake back in the DL. Penny?s problem is his fastball though hits 95 it has no movement. It?s high time to say adios.
I forgot about Ram Ram who has done a fine job as 7th and 8th inning guy. But his ERA escalates by each month.
Pitchers like Saito and Ram Ram can be a closer for many ML teams.
Talking about closer David Aardsma has an era of 2-34 and 30 saves for Seattle.

There were reports after the game last night that Theo and Tito met with Penny before Tito met with the press and that Penny left the ballpark after that. I wish him well. Perhaps, like Smoltz, Boston just wasn’t the place for him.

Morning all,
I’m still thinking about Ted Kennedy today. I guess because I grew up in Massachusetts and he was a living political memory. He was a dynamic speaker and a presence on the Boston News channels that my parents here every night.
I guess what really sunk home to me was the passage of time. What ever happened to the last 45 years. Whew…times is short in a lifetime isn’t it.
On other news, what a win by Boston. I always will say that Tim Wakefield is my favorite player on the team. I will miss him when he retires. I hope Boston picks him up for next year. With all the negative press on him, he’s probably the most focused, selfless player in MLB today. He will live a great life as he has, because he lacks envy and that is a character trait that will give him much happiness. Besides, compared to most of us, 4$ million a year is what we could live on for life!

I might also add I will miss Penny. I felt his attitude was great and he was a fun guy. I’m sorry that his abilities were unable to hold him in Boston.
It was probably a wise move to move on. No starting pitcher wants to be stuck in the bullpen but he had far more class that Colon who just walked out on the team. Asking to be released and giving a good statement reflects his general class attitude and I was very impressed. He didn’t tear up his uniform nor this he go away frustrated. Good for him…or at least that’s what he expressed to the press.
I can’t imagine a tougher life than a baseball player. You’re always in the public spotlight and while the money in extraordinary, we’re all human as well.
Dave…

I might also add I will miss Penny. I felt his attitude was great and he was a fun guy. I’m sorry that his abilities were unable to hold him in Boston.
It was probably a wise move to move on. No starting pitcher wants to be stuck in the bullpen but he had far more class that Colon who just walked out on the team. Asking to be released and giving a good statement reflects his general class attitude and I was very impressed. He didn’t tear up his uniform nor this he go away frustrated. Good for him…or at least that’s what he expressed to the press.
I can’t imagine a tougher life than a baseball player. You’re always in the public spotlight and while the money in extraordinary, we’re all human as well.
Dave…

I think Saito’s day as a closer are ovah. Ramirez has the stuff to be a closer but in Boston he is perfect where he is…one of the set-up guys for Papelbon. Ramirez is one of the main reasons the Sox have a solid bullpen. He got off to a great start but he hasn’t done all that well lately but I still think he can get the job done. No excuse with the longball to Podsenick. Thome, Konerko or Dye yes but not to that little guy.

The Brad Penny era is ovah! Amen! At the time I thought it was a decent move but he has proven nothing in the last month or so. Penny should go to St.Louis, that is where all the Red Sox rejects go! LOL!

I wish Penny luck. Penny was accorded the adequate courtesy of the presence of John Henry, Theo. Uncle Tito, and the Dir of Baseball Operations at the post game meeting. I wish a NL team will pick him up. I doubt it will be a contending team though.
Brian: With Wagner on board, I think Ramirez will mainly be a middle relief guy. Wagner and Bard will be the primary setup man for Pap. Wagner will occasionally close if Pap is not available.
There were many positives came out of the last night?s game. Among others things, Wake?s ace like performance, Bard?s confidence, V-Mart can comfortably catch a knuckleballer, and Ortiz?s bat.
I don?t expect Tazawa to pitch another scoreless 6 innings. He will give up hits, at least one in each inning but won?t surrender too many runs. Go Sox and Texas and Jays.

Great Morning everyone… Just thought that I would savor the win overnight, while I was dreaming, before I commented on it.
I think that Wake was SPECTACULAR. The only sweat he had going on was due to the heat. He looked calm and collected throughout his performance. And although there were not a huge number of hits last night, the ones that they did get WERE KEY!!!!! (as I write this Dan Patrick is getting ready to interview Francona… I’m going to wait for that until I finish this).
Well I ‘m still waiting for him to come on, so I’ll continue till he does.

What a great thing it was for Theo to bring AGon home. Can you think back to a couple of Penny’s starts at the beginning of the season?, when Lugo and Green booted numerous infield balls?? And hurt his cause drastically?? I remember all of us talking about it. I think that if AGon had been here at the beginning of the season. Penny may have had a much different season.

I have seen, in the past few games, something that I couldn’t see before. CHEMISTRY, GLUE, COMERADERIE, FUN! It seems those things have found their way back into the RedSox clubhouse and onto their field. It feels good to this RSNationer.
Well they’ve pushed back the Francona interview so I’ll check back in after that .
idobelieveidobelieveidoidoidoidobelieve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i got a comment for yuke and his rebuttle to the fan thingy…i love yuke….i cant think of a single plr id rather have on my team more than him….but his statements concerning how the fans should be just positive is absolute bs….if somethin bothers yuke he says somethin about it…ask manny who he ********** and others….now i like this part of him cause if he would do that more maybe there wouldnt be prolonged slumps….a simple ” hey man how about a lil extra work in the cage or taking infield(which is non existant now) or maybe just a lil more concentration …in a bad economy,more stress,less free time,alot of ppl look forward immensely to that sox game everyday….i know i do..and boston fans are passionate like yuke is….so yuke this is for you….if you expect me not to be mad at nancy cause he seems complacent ,or weak,or if papi doesnt run out a pop fly,or if a pitcher gets hurt cause hes too lazy to do the extra work to stay in shape,or even tito for his in game moves or non moves then you might as well request a trade to SD where the fans arent livinng day to day for that infamous “PLAY BALL”……judge….btw yuke…i still luv ya brother….dont hate me for lovin the sox

watch for penny to show up in dodger town…im sure torre is salivating at the 5th starter who in that division will be probably 1.5 lower era and pick his brain on the sox….just incase…..thats what i would be doing if i was torre…judge

btw….heres a comment for tcd….you had better pray to the yankee gawds that papi doesnt get real hot….cause he can carry the sox….it will be contagious….im not sayin thats what is gonna happen but it might…i believe the stats read that since june papi has hit more homers than anyone in baseball…if not hes close…and i also believe the yanks are still an injury away from that long skid….im not wishing an injury on them but they do have a pluthera of old plrs and now is the time time a long season catches up….we have had our injuries and i think tito has done well revolving them in…i think its amusing that since drew asked out of a game and tito said no that you havent heard of nancy’s aches and pains….get em tito….i also like what hes doing with mikey…rest him tito…hes a nasty pinch hitter if we need him and when he does play seems to always get a big hit…it will be a sad day when mikey has to call it quits…i truly believe he loves the game…no matter his paycheck…. 36 games left….we win 22 of em.or 20-22 of em it puts us at 99 wins i believe…can a team win 100 games and not make the playoffs?….good lord…it happened before but not in the WC era…i think lol….judge

Papi was second in the number of HRs hit since June – but with the few he has hit the last few games he could be in first place. He has the fire in him again – they all seem to! What a site to see at homeplate last night!

Dave – I am right there with you on Ted Kennedy – I have lived in Massachusetts all my life and as old as I am – Ted was the Senator from Massachusetts my whole life. There are some wonderful articles about him today in the Boston Globe – I expect many of them are online at boston.com. I did not know him personally, but reading the stories I find the tears rolling down. For all his faults – he was a great man and he will be missed. The last line an editorial in the paper summed it up best – “Massachusetts feels little smaller today.”

Well the suns shinin in ny at the moment ellen, but hopefully not over Yankee Stadium. How are ya? Boy have we caught a bon fire since losing to the yanks. Hopefully it will carry into the next time we play them. Papi is battling strong. V mart has been delivering as well as Gonzales. I kinda hated seeing Penny leave, but atleast he was professional about it. Bartolo Colon is a bum, what more can be said? I hated him since his cleveland days lol. Later!

C Victor Martinez used a first baseman’s mitt to catch RHP Tim Wakefield’s dancing knuckleball after attempting to use several different catcher’s mitts owned by both Wakefield and Martinez. The switch-hitting catcher said the key to his success was to simply stay relaxed when the knuckleball was coming in, and simply let the fluttering pitch come to him. After extensive bullpen work with catching instructor Gary Tuck, Martinez was impressive for his first time catching a knuckleball in his entire catching life. “He’s worked hard the last two weeks catching my sides and playing catch with me in the outfield,” said Wakefield. “He did a phenomenal job.”
(Yahoo! Sports)

Hey Ch… Good to see you around again!! It’s that time of year… I dont sleep really well until after the WS…. Don’t stay away so long!!! Matter of fact.. Stick around, this is sure to be a great ride the rest of the way!!!

Okay here’s a fun topic.. : Who will be the MVP of the AL?? Of the RedSox?? My vote (if I had one ) would go to Joe Mauer/Twins…. He is AWESOME, on a barely mediocre team, he has carried them all year… He should be our future catcher, he’s only batting somewhere around 370…. Who is the last catcher to hit like that??? I wouldnt even venture a guess..
MVP for the Sox: Youk or Lowell

The only other highlight, in addition to Papi’s walkoff HR was the way TB lost. Up 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth the Jays hit a HR which tied the game– then after loading the bases with two out- Howell uncorked a wild pitch which let the winning run in. What a way to lose. Hopefully, this would adversely affect TB play. Re; the Yankee/Texas game- we came out ahead regardles of which team lost (I, personally would have preferred that the Yanks went down- I guess my bias is showing) The Sox just have to keep winning. GO SOX

What a great game last night!! Wakefield looked amazingly sharp, that run he gave up was kind of a fluke. Very impressive! And Papi’s swing on that walk-off was just like the old Papi. Only good things can come from that. Fantastic game. The only thing that was a disappointment was Wake not getting the “W”.

interesting yes, unexpected? no. Right now martinez is swinging the better bat, and Tek has gotten some good hits off the bench. Lowell is hot, Youk is swinging good again. I’m sure Tek knows whats what and why. Its all about getting to the post season!!!

I like tonight’s line up choices. We need Vmart’s bat in there, and I’m glad Mike Lowell can play 3rd. I was a little worried that he would run out of gas with his hip bothering him but I’m thinking he will finish strong. This is probably the best way to go for the stretch run.
I’m predicting a Drew home run tonight.

I know it?s a long shot. I told you that the division race is not ovah. If Sox win, it?s only 5 games off the pace. The Chisox will be hungry for a win at Yankee stadium. The Yanks have to play TB and LAA. The bottom line is the Sox have to win and keep winning. Good thing will happen.

I’m with you, Andy. It ain’t ovah til it’s ovah!!! If the Sox can put together a run down the stretch they can overtake the Yanks. Tito just has to put out the best line up each day and try hard to win every game. The future is here and it’s balls to the wall until Oct. Pedal to the metal. Let’s go SOX!!!

Arnie: The next NY-Boston series can be very interesting. Will the Yankee pitching hold in late Sept? Burnett lost again this afternoon although he didn’t pitch poorly. Again it’s a loss for Burnett.
With the bolstered bp and re-emergence of Bard, 1 run lead into the 8th looks pretty good. Go Sox and Jays!

Hey, all. Don’t know how much, if at all, I’ll be on tonight, but I am still following the games! I am hoping to be on at some point tonight! Great job by Wake last night! Great to see him return as strongly as he did! Keep it up, Wake! We missed ya, and we’ll need ya!
Keep it going against the Pale Hose, guys! GO SOX!

Condolences to all of you, esp. those of you from Mass., on the death of Sen. Kennedy. Godspeed, and Rest in Peace, Senator. Prayers to his family.

Tazawa got away with alot of mistakes his last start against the Yankees but somehow someway the Yankees never jumped on them….the White Sox have jumped all over them tonight. Some of the outs were loud against the Yankees and that is the case tonight. How he held the Yankees scoreless for (6) innings is beyond me. I would have to say this game is ovah!

Only way Wagner should see the mound tonight is if the Sox mount a comeback. If this game keeps up the way it’s going, have Wagner watch like us the fans. If Wagner took the mound tonight in a blow out that would be a waste because he will not be able to pitch tom. night. The “Wagner Rules”.

I see my man Taz got lit up like a pinball game tonight. The boys will be so tired from chasing all those hits they won’t be able to hit when their chance comes. Get ‘em tomorrow fellas!!! Cmon Sox, you can do it!!!

I didn’t think he would have the same stuff as last time out, but did I expect this meltdown??? HELL NO!!!!!!!!!!
GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR A*S*S AND PITCH LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO!!!
AND BATS… WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU????
GO SOX. THATS ALL……….. FOR NOW………………….

as bosoxbrian said, Tazawa wasn’t really that impressive against NY, and the baseball gods were on his side that night. No so, tonight. I never really did think for even a minute that the sox starting pitching woes were over.

I thought Tazawa was very lucky on Saturday against the Yankees. He left alot of pitches up in the strike zone but the Yankees never seemed to do anything with them. I’m guessing next time the Yankees face Tazawa, they’ll pound him. Personally I don’t think Tazawa is ready to face big leaguers. I think he belongs in A.A.A. I know the Red Sox are very high on him and this just in…they know alot more than me but I am not that impressed with Tazawa. I’ll take Masterson over him anytime! I hope I am dead wrong but we’ll see.

Julia asked a question earlier and I would rather watch Tazawa get pounded than Penny. At least Tazawa has a future in a Red Sox uniform and Penny’s future is not in Boston. I wondered where Bowden was in the last month or so and when he pitched, he got bombed. I’m guessing Tazawa is keeping the seat warm until Dice-K returns. When Dice-K returns, Tazawa will be in the pen.

Julia, Penny got hit hard every time out. I could be wrong, but I don’t remember his ever getting past the sixth inning and I think he maybe had one or two quality starts all year. Tazawa is young, and he has a chance to be a decent pitcher. I don’t think he’s ready to pitch every fifth day in the major leagues yet, and I think his “stuff” is marginally good, but he’s got a chance. It’s easy to look back at the Yankee game and say he was lucky, but a lot of baseball is luck, whether you’re pitching, or hitting. The fact is that although he was consistently in trouble against the Yankees, he made some good pitches and got some big outs. He didn’t give anything away with walks and he maintained his composure very well in tough situations. There’s a lot to be said for all of that. Every pitcher has bad nights, and overall, Tazawa has been pretty good up to now.

Julia, as far as Tazawa is concerned, he is on a three year major league contract. There is nothing wrong with his pitching on the big club. The Red Sox are probably one of the more conservative teams in baseball in managing their young players, especially their pitchers. In my opinion, the Sox don’t work their young players enough. An 18 year old kid out of high school needs some time to develop, both mentally and physically. But a kid who played four years of college ball can be ready for the big leagues in short order. All they need is some strengthening for the longer schedule and some fine tuning. That’s why guys like Pedroia, Youk, Ellsbury, Bard, Papelbon and others enjoy success after a relatively short period of time in the minors.

I guess that soemone hit the snooze alarm on the bat’s alarm clock, cause they went back to sleep!!
We cant afford to lose Ellsbury now….
WHO WAS IT THAT SAID THE WORD “SWEEP” EARLIER…???
You should never ever count your RedSox wins til they hatch!!!
My superstitions, I know, but still…. they would be superstitions if they didnt work, right??

Hey, all. Just checking in, won’t be on long. I see Tazawa was banged around tonight. Andy, you said “Houston, we have a problem”–Is Tazawa the Japanese word for “Houston”? Methinks he was indeed the problem!
Brian and Garry were saying, though, that they’d rather have Tazawa get banged around instead of Penny, since Penny doesn’t have a future here. True enough, Penny doesn’t have a future here (esp. if we can help it!), but, not having seen Tazawa pitch tonight, it appears that Tazawa’s future might be a little more distant! Hmmm!… Paul Byrd, have at it!
I hope Jacoby isn’t shaken up too bad!
My folks are doing fine now, Julia and Ellen! Thanks for keeping them in your thoughts and prayers!
Take care, all! I’m out! GO SOX!

I just read the comments from before, noticing that Penny was granted his release. Good for him, and good for the FO to grant it. Good luck to him–as was said, hopefully he can do well again with another team.
Chris Carter was picked up by the Yanks, eh? Let’s see if he shows up on their radar screen, or if he get stuck in S-WB. Hmmm…
I also saw the highlights of Nick Green going 2 IP in shut-out relief. WAY TO GO, NICK! We did have a deep BP–who knew? He looked SHARP! Granted, one appearance does not a reliever make, but… GO NICK! GO SOX!
Take care. all!

Brian is right Taz wasn’t impressive against the Yanks. I have been wondering how did he get the Yankee hitters out with his low 90’s FB. I wish Dice-K be back in time to fill the 5th spot down the stretch. Dice-K or Byrd can?t do worse than Taz.
In hindsight, if Uncle Tito knew the Sox would score 5 runs, Taz would be yanked after 3d, maybe not or penciled in Green as a starter. lol
Tonight, I would sit Lowell and have Tek catch Beckett, VMart at 1B and Youk at 3d. Go Sox and Chisox and Minn and Det.

I think everyone agrees on here that Tazawa needs more seasoning in the minors. If Byrd is ready to take the mound next week, I would have Byrd start. If not, I guess Tazawa will take the mound. Only other option is Bowden but from what I saw last Fri. against the Yankees, I’m not sure if I want him out there. Dice-K is still another (2) weeks away or so.

Boston has a chance this weekend to extend there lead in the w.c.— Texas is at the Metrodome and T.B. is in Motown. First things first Boston needs to beat down the lowly Jays. Boston needs to extend that lead in the w.c. because they play at the dome next week and that place is a graveyard for the Red Sox.

Ellen…
LOL…
I did see your post— I don’t even know who is on the team. I have never logged on too see who is on it. Ellen..The best part is if I won. That would be so funny! I signed up thinking it was a good idea but just don’t have the time to keep track of all the players and trades etc. What is my team name???

sigh….well i guess no one cares that taz was left to the wolves huh…i know hes young and we couldnt expect much from him…so no plan was in place for that particular scenario?….i know sometimes you have to eat a game and save the bp….well its easier to beat the hapless chisox than most and im not a favorite of saving the pen just before sept call ups….a plan could have been in place for that debacle….every single game counts down the stretch especially when the yanks lost that day…..if this was the last eat it game i wont complain but if that bs happens again im gonna get really irked….i hope a plan is set for the rest of the way…judge

I hope Beckett will return to his dominance tonight. If he doesn?t, Uncle Tito should yank him immediately not until irreparable damage is done. Judge has a good point. This is a pennant race. The concern is to win and not to save bp on the eve of Sept call up. It doesn?t mean to abuse the bp. In hindsight, should Tazawa be pulled after 4 runs were scored? The kid had absolutely nothing to his pitches. Every ball was hit hard.

Yes… Tazawa SHOULD have been pulled… But I think that at some point these guys have to know that sometimes they are going to HAVE to pull their fat out of the fire themselves!!!
Not at this time of the season however, given the position that the Sox are in

Nick Greene should look into pitching, you never know. There is no such thing as having too much pitching. I sure hope Dice K Walksuzaka will be ready soon and I HOPE he comes back throwing STRIKES. Well Ellen and Brian, time will tell eh?

I don’t know about getting the game in tonight or tomorrow. Rain is arriving tonight (I believe it is already raining in NY) and it will rain all day tomorrow and into the night – we will be feeling the effects of TS Dan. I’ll let you all know as I get more news.

Hey to all! No problems tonight, right??
Josh has his ACE stuff, right?? The bats have been in the Bat Warmer all day, right???? GOOD.
I’m off to kick some bowling butt! See y’all later!!
gosox
wooooooooooo

Hey, all. Looks like we have the Beckett (incl. these past 2 starts) that we saw back in April. Not good news. Get back on track, Josh! We’ll need ya for any post-season run!
I always hate it when the Patriots play the Redskins–my two favorite teams. Oh, well! (But the Skins have not been particularly good for a while…) GO SOX!! GO PATRIOTS!

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